Anniversary of Feynman's death

kdv

By luck I happened to be reminded today that Feynman died 20 yeays ago, on February 15th, 1988. A sad day for the physics community.

Cyrus

Why is it a 'sad day' for the physics community? -That was 20 years ago.

lisab

Sad, because he was legendary - even infamous - in his own time. His vibrant personality and true love of physics were an inspiration to me. Have you ever looked at "The Feynman Lectures on Physics"? Or read "Surely You're Joking, Mr Feynman!":

http://www.amazon.com/Surely-Feynman.../dp/0393316041

You would like it, I think. I read it when I was a Chemistry major -- and I switched to Physics!

And 20 years...it passes like a blink of an eye.

Cyrus

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKTSaezB4p8

Ahahaha, hes a character.

kdv

I was referring to the day he died.

Cyrus

I see your and raise you ^

Chi Meson

In 1986, I was in a band, in Charlottesvile, VA, with this other kid, Dale Kutyna. He said that there was going to be a party one weekend, at his father's house in Northern Virginia, and that this famous physicist was also going to be there..."do you wanna come along?"

I was thinking "old folks party? You're nuts! There's a kegger this weekend!"

His father was (is) General Kutyna. The guy who was assisting Feynman during the investigation of the first space shuttle disaster. They became good friends.

I missed out on partying with Richard Feynman because I was a sophomore!

Poop-Loops

Don't beat yourself up over it. I doubt you would have had more fun with him than at the kegger you went to. I mean, you were a sophomore, so you had different priorities and ideas of fun.

Chi Meson

I don't remember the kegger. I would have remembered meeting Feynman. It's possible I would have talked with him since both Dale (my bandmate...OK, HE was the band, and I played in it...for a while...a short while... nevermind, different story) and I were physics undergrads. It would have been worth it. If I were one year further along, I would have been studying quantum and I would have recognized Feynman's name, but no! I was doing space-time and Electromagnetism. I would have partied with Maxwell I suppose, but I hear he wasn't as much fun. Plus he had been dead for a century by then.

Poop-Loops

Oh, you were sophomores in COLLEGE!

That changes everything. I thought you were in high school. Yeah, that's too bad. Well now you know. Next time you have a chance to meet with a famous physicist, you take it.

Math Is Hard

And you may have missed the chance to jam with him. Feynman was one mean bongo player from what I hear.